Improvement in inking-apfaratxts for printing-presses



"dilated sty@- .States ISRAEL L. G RICE, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 89,244,'datecl April 20, 1869.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and maldng part o! theIlmo.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I,IsRA EL L. G. Rien, of(lam` bridge, inthe county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Machine for Distributing Printing-Inks ofVarious Colors on Lines of Printing-Types, so that several colors may beprinted at one impression; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full and exact description thereof, reference being had-to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,making a part of the specification. Y

The nature of my invention consists in providing distributing-rollers ofvarious widths, with distributingdisks of corresponding diameters,placed at right angles and impinging upon them, by means of which I amenabled to put upon lines of printing-types, inks of any desired colors,and to print at one impression on the same sheet, several colors Toenable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct my distributing-rollers, as shown in the accompanyingdrawing, marked a. a a, of rubber or other suitable material, and ofdifferent widths, according to the different sizes of types, and throughtheir centres, I make holes so that they may be placed on the shaft e.

On this shaft, I cut a screw-thread, and place a nut, b. 0n the otherend, I place a collar, b".

The rollers are held in their proper position by divisional rollers c cc, of less diameter, and a variety of widths. These are pnt between thedistributing-rollers to separate them, and between the rollers and thecollars. b" The nutb is-then turned so they are pressed against thecollar, and are made to turn with the shaft e.

The disks d d are made of metal, and their diameters are a little largerthan the widths of the rollers, and are furnished with astem, orjournal, f.

The object of these disks is to evenly distribute, vibrate, or spreadthe different colored inks, which are 'upon the distributing-rollers c aa. They accomplish their object by beingplaced at right angles with thedistributing-rollers, and pressing against them, and revolvingsimultaneously with them. The face of the disk is smooth.

The carriage A is provided with two spring-catches, g g, to hold theshaft in its place. The carriage has also numerous 'holes through theupper part, which serve as bearers to the stems, or journals of thedisks d d.

To turn these disks, an endless belt passing between the rollers w fw,which keep it in place, and the stems or journals ofthe disks, causesthem to revolve.

Motion is given to the belt k, by means of the toothed rack a, which 'issecured to the frame B, and which moves backward and forward beneath thecarriage A, working in the toothed wheel m, which, as it turns, movesthe bevel-wheel o', it being secured to the same shaft.

The bevel o' turns the bevel-wheel o, which has a pulley, fr, attachedto its shaft.

The frame B is made of metal, and is madeto correspond to a larger one,made for a Gordon Franklinpress. It is made to furnish a means to holdthe inking-tables, and for the inki'ng and distributing-rollers to workon.

The two ends D D are fastened to that part ot the press directly abovethe bed of the press, over which the ink-rollers move. n

The frame B occupies the same position the ink-taf' ble does, when it ison the press. The carriage A is 'placed above the frame B, the twoguides of the carriage resting in the grooves in the frame. The earriageis held in one position by two connecting-rods, or any other suitablemeans. The rods may be fastened to the printing-press. The ordinarymechanism of the press gives a reciprocating motion to the frame B. Thetoothed rack u, working in gear with the toothed wheel m, being securedto the frame B, gives thc required motion to revolve the disks.

The inking-table is made in sections, H H, of equal length but ofdifferent widths, to correspond with the distributing-rollers.

I place a clamp, F, furnished with thumb-screws, at each end of theinking-tables.

The inking-rollers are made similar to the distributing-rollers, with ahole through their centre, and of various widths, to agree with thedistributing-rollers, and are slipped on a shaft. These rollers are onthe printing-press, and are not shown. It is not absolutely necessarythat the hiking-rollers be in sections. This is merely suggested. Theinks of different colors may be applied directly to thedistributing-rollers by means of a pallet-knife, in place of a fountain.They have also divisional rollers of smaller diameters, and the shaftshave a collar and uut, like the distributing-rollers. A. fountain,having movable partitions to keep the several colored inks apart, isalso used.

When the form is ready to be printed, I arrange my inking-rollers sothat there will be one for each color, placing the divisional disks,washers, or rollers between, to keep them the properk distance apart onthe shaft. I then place my ink-tables H H in relative positions to them.It may be advantageous to have divisional tables of less height, toarrange the inking-tables more rapidly. These tables may be made ofthesame width as the divisional washers, or disks, and thus the necessityof measuring the distances the ink-tables should be from one another maybe avoided; as, in printing a form, the space between the inking anddistributingrollers and the ink-tables, should be the same.. I thenarrange my distributing-rollers c c, by means of the divisional rollers,so they are kept the/ir distance apart. The disks are then placed in thecarriage A, their stems, or journals ff are put through the holes whichserve them for boxes, or bearers, and under the belt k, and at rightangles with the distributing-rollers, against which they press. Thesedisks may be turned by means of gear-Wheels, placed on each stem, orjournal, and the disks themselves be separate from the stein, orjournal, but, by having them keyed, may be put on to the journals, andmade to revolve.

A spring may be used, of spiral form, to keep each disk pressed gentlyagainst the distributing-rollers. The inks are then placed in thefountain, each color in its compartment relative to thedistributing-roller which is to receive it. Y 'The sectionalink-fountain is placed above the distributing-rollers, and iu anysuitable position so the distributing-rollers may come in contactwithit, so as to continually receive a supply of ink, or so as to take alittle ink at each impression, as may be required.

The fountain, or rather the sectional roller inside thesectionalink-fountain; is given motion by mechanism connected with itand the printing-press.

By the above-described mechanism, as the disks revolve they distributeevenly the inks upon the distributing-rollers, the distributing-rollersdistribute it upon the ink-tables, the hiking-rollers then put it uponthe types, so that a great many colors may be printed at one impressionon the same sheet.

The apparatus for distributinpr maybe applied to :any press, althoughrollers would, in some cases, take the place of the sectional tables, sothat, perhaps iu some instances, the distributing-disk would be applieddirect to the hiking-table, and the disks would be made of some othermaterial than metal.

What l claim as my invention,and desire to secure by. Letters Patent,is-

The application of distributing-disks, placed at right angles withdistributing-rollers, or hiking-rollers, or hiking-tables, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

ISRAEL L. G. RICE. Witnesses:

JOHN S. SWAIM, I. B. DA COSTA.

